


Better Prepared Than Most

by dekkaisdefyinggravity



Category: Gone Series - Michael Grant
Genre: Multi, Post-FAYZ, depctions of violence arent graphic but whatever, its a zombie apocalypse thing so
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-24
Updated: 2014-02-24
Packaged: 2018-01-13 16:26:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1233295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dekkaisdefyinggravity/pseuds/dekkaisdefyinggravity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written in summer and posted on tumblr, just transferring now.<br/>Zombie apocalypse but not really AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Better Prepared Than Most

Astrid had her hair cut short properly now. Everybody did - you couldn’t risk anything slowing you down, and among the people sheltering in hers, Sam’s, and Diana’s house was a semi-professional barber.

She was keeping track of everybody’s movements; Dekka and Sam had gone to investigate rumours of an untouched Walmart that some people who passed through had passed along; Edilio was leading a group of five into the town ahead of them to ward of the zombie hordes; Sinder and her group were checking the barbed wire around the perimeter.

She absolutely hoped that the rumours were true. There were thirty people living in their house, and while they had the space, they did not have the supplies.

(There had been more than thirty at first, but there are always casualties.)

Astrid was sitting at the porch with a gun on her hip and a checklist on her lap because it was sunset, and they all should be back soon. A hand dropped onto the blonde’s shoulder. She recognised the light tap as Diana’s, and smiled without turning.

"They’re all fed, but the kids are complaining about ration size," Diana reported. Astrid didn’t have to turn to see the wry grin accompanying this statement. These portions were bigger than anything they had eaten in the days of beetle and grass soup.

Astrid shuffled to the left of her chair and Diana sat half on her, half on the chair, with a sigh. Astrid rubbed the back of Diana’s neck and listened to her gripe.

"I can already tell who’ll be next to die," the taller girl remarked. "Grant’s been yapping about going to help Edilio for weeks, but he’s not fast, and he’s selfish. He’s after glory, not survival."

She knew the type well, and, well. He did get what he wanted in the end.

"That’s why Edilio hasn’t agreed yet," Astrid said. Diana started to reply, but four people came slowly into view.

When they got quite close, Diana could see that it was the goth girl and her crew - the goth was the only FAYZ survivor of them. One of them was bleeding through a rip in the knee of their jeans. Another supported him on her shoulder.

Astrid stood up quickly, dropping her clipboard and displacing Diana. The dark girl picked up the clipboard for her and settled more comfortably in the half-wrecked antique.

"What happened?"

It was the goth that replied.

"Part of the fence had come loose, he just tripped."

Astrid nodded. “You all know the rule for open wounds,” she said, a commanding tone to her voice as she strode back to the porch. “Carry it out.”

The injured boy looked ashen - probably from the blood loss. Containment was not that scary.

The group of four went into the house.

"I’ll track down Roger," Diana said. Roger was good with stitching.

Astrid nodded and held out a hand for the checklist, and the girls shared a quick smile. Diana followed the group back into the house.

* * *

Lana wiped some sweat from her face. No matter how many she killed, there were always more zombies - aah, suburban life. Exactly what she had envisioned of her life post-FAYZ.

Still, it meant that it had been easy to re-stock on weapons as need be - all those middle-aged dad’s who wanted to protect their families.

Lana’s hair was tied up in a bandana. The rest of her was covered by motorbike leather - modern day armour. She like the look.

 _Especially_  on Sanjit.

It was pure luck that he had been visiting when everything went to shit - he’d been considering moving nearby to spend more time with her. Well, he got his wish. Lana laughed to herself as she shot another sucker in the head.

She had forgotten why they decided it would be better to move through towns and suburbs - a compromise between easy supplies and fewer zombies, or something. From where she was standing, that last part was inaccurate. They just kept coming at her; she was completely swamped.

Finally,  _finally_ , some shots from the other direction joined hers. When Lana stood alone in a circle of blood and corpses, she laughed and started to thank Sanjit for the help.

But when she looked at her helper, she realised that she didn’t recognise that broad torso. Or rather, she did. But it was not Sanjit’s - he was a bit skinnier than that. Good news, then.

"Edilio," she laughed, "We actually made it to you guys, then?"

He did not answer her question, instead opting to cry “Lana!” and rush to meet her, stumbling over bodies as he went.

"We? You’ve got Sanjit?"

Lana nodded, unable to speak for the relief coursing through her. They’d made it.

Then Sanjit tripped into the room.

"Lana? I - Edilio," he cried, spotting the newcomer. His face split into a broad grin. "Please tell me it’s not just you?"

Edilio shook his head, a smile almost bright enough to rival Sanjit’s. “Sam and Dekka are really near - I’m the advance guard. I’ll take you to them.”

The path that Edilio lead them down was winding, but reinforced and barricaded on either side. It looked like the residents were fairly permanent.

"I wasn’t supposed to be out this far, but I heard shooting," he said without turning. "And where there’s gunshot’s there’s people, right?"

Lana snorted. “I don’t think that’s how it goes.”

This time, Edilio did turn around. He smiled at her.

* * *

They found the Walmart. It was miraculously fully stocked, and Dekka could tell that Sam, too, was remembering the discovery of the train. This time though, they had taken a truck on the way there, and so they spent ten minutes or so stocking it with essentials and cramming as much into it as they could, before reinforcing all of the windows and barricading the doors.

Then Edilio turned up, long after the rest of his team. Dekka had known that he would arrive, of course - she had long since learned not to underestimate the man.

He had Lana and Sanjit in tow - even when they made their best discovery yet, he still one-upped them. Another ten minutes were spent greeting/hugging their wayward friends. The rest of Edilio’s crew looked on awkwardly.

Eventually Sam ushered them all onto the truck, and they went to tell Diana and Astrid the good news - all of it.

* * *

When they arrived at the house they parked the truck to be unloaded by somebody else, and following the rules, allowed Astrid to inspect each of them for wounds before they entered the house.

When she noticed Lana and Sanjit she smiled but continued with the task at hand.

They finally entered the house. Most continued into the various rooms, but Edilio stopped in the hall where Roger was, as always, waiting. He ran to Edilio and kissed him.

Very hard.

Edilio almost felt light-headed but returned the kiss with equal fervour, and it didn’t matter that Edilio had just been out killing zombies and was exhausted; attached to Roger at the mouth was _exactly_ where he wanted to be.

Roger might feel silly for worrying - Edilio was good at his job and always came home safe - but worry he did. The kiss had a hint of that in it, and it proved that he was alive and safe. It mirrored the one they shared in the hospital, just after Roger woke up. They loved each other, and both knew it.

After watching a few moments of the Roger-Edilio Customary Greeting, Sam shook his head and went to find his girlfriends - Astrid had disappeared into one of the back rooms.

They were together on the loveseat, and there wasn’t really any room. Sam sat down with them and received a tired smile from each. Their smiles were different - Diana’s had a hint more teeth, a little more edge - but they were equally fond.

They kissed.


End file.
